The Shinra Affair: In Regard To My Lover
by BleedingHeartsoftheWorldUnite
Summary: Larette and Rufus had finally gotten married, but after only two years, the new bride begins to feel neglected. Trying to attain her husband's attention at least once more, she heads to Mideel...Sequel to "Tears of Black", "Were He Alive", and "Chrome".
1. Happily Wed

**Sequel to "Tears of Black", "Were He Alive", and "Chrome". In ToB, Larette was a Turk protecting Rufus Shinra personally. They fell in love, and President Shinra, Rufus's father, killed her shortly after hearing his son's intentions to wed her. Or so he thought. Rude, another Turk and mentor of Larette, saved her. In WHA, an alternate time line where Zack Fair, childhood friend and first crush of Larette, did not die, their relationship is explored. In Chrome, picking up after Rude saved Larette, she had developed amnesia. Once she had remembered everything, she went to see Rufus one last time to tell him everything...**

**And so it continues...**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!**

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Rufus Shinra looked up at the breathtaking goddess resting on his crimson sofa, his hand entwined in her's, were it belonged. She looked at him, cautiously, and at the unopened box in his hand. As an Ex-Turk, no, as a woman, she needed no clues to know what was in that box. And as a woman, the same woman in the arms of her soul mate, she at once knew her answer, not even once aware that she had made up her mind.

"...After everything that's happened, you still love me?" She shook her head, trying to clear away the tears of her unbridled emotions, "I only came here to tell you my fate...I never expected to wind up here."

It was true. After making up her mind to seek him out, she had expected no good fortune in her venture, not in the end. She doubted he'd even let her finish, and even if he did, she was prepared for him to hate her...

He couldn't help but laugh, knowing that even though she hadn't said it yet, "I knew it'd be something like that."

She beamed at his comment, "I love you, too. But I won't marry you." She smiled brightly before he could get upset, "Not without making a show of it!"

And so it came to pass that Larette Black became Larette Shinra. True to his word, Rufus waited to announce the engagement, even the fact that he knew Larette was alive, until the death of his father. Married two weeks before the destruction of Meteor, rushed purely out of panic, just before the planed "Execution" of Tifa Lockheart and Barret Wallace of AVALANCHE, which Larette had no knowledge of, they spent the time after in Mideel.

That was two years ago. Now, gradually reestablishing a name for itself, Shinra inc. is aiding in the efforts to repair the planet, as it should. Rufus has personally been putting in strenuous hours at work, also commanding his loyal Turks to do the same. Larette, not quite forbidden by her husband, assists the Turks in however many ways that she still can.

"Rufus, honey," Larette sat on the edge of his desk with her legs crossed in a short, open white baby-doll dress, "I know that you're really busy and all, but maybe you could use a break?"

He looked up at her, "Hm? What'd you break?"

She rolled her eyes, recrossing her legs, "Nothing! But, um...About that break you should take?" She plied the papers from his hands and slapped them down on the desk, forcing him to look at her, "I could use just a little...company."

He jumped up from his seat as it rolled back, startling her, "Shit, I almost forgot about the company meeting! Thank you so much, love!"

He ran from the room, leaving his wife in a crossed state. She huffily got off his desk and headed back to her room, muttering darkly, "What do I have to do? Wear a neon sign?"

Larette wasn't asking for much, just five minutes! She wouldn't have minded what they spent the time doing, as long as he was actually paying her attention. Of course she wasn't stupid, she knew how busy he was, but he still could have afforded to at least _look_ at her when she spoke to him.

"Larette?" Reno, a friend and Turk, failed to stifle a laugh at the way she was dressed.

She growled at him, hairs flying dangerously, "Shaddup!"

He whimpered in the corner like a beaten dog, "Sorry..."

She sighed, knowing that her misplaced anger was not meant for him, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that...I'm just so lonely...He's too busy to even look at me these days..." She morned her blues, "I'm such a failure of a wife..."

"Hey," Reno wouldn't have been this nice if it were anyone else, "Don't sweat it! The boss's just swamped at work right now...He'd have to be to miss you in _that _little number! Hell, if my lady looked half as hot as you do right now, she'd be even more hassled than your husband."

"That's probably half the reason he's ignoring me right now." She thought back...

_Spending the day at the park with her loving spouse, Larette watched a small girl, about three or four, playing with her twin sister. It was just like her and her older sister, Caris, when they were little. Just like her sister's baby might be now they hadn't died in the reactor meltdown in Gongaga..._

_"Larette, are you alright?" Rufus asked her, watching her watch the girl. But naturally he got the wrong impression. "Such troublesome things...Children."_

_She nodded, completely missing his tone, "Yeah, they sure do grow fast though."_

_He caught that she had failed to interpret his meaning, so he tried again, "We'll do well to avoid that, won't we?"_

_Again, she missed it, "But wouldn't you want an heir someday?"_

_He swiped his hair out of his face, "Maybe...Maybe not."_

_But that wasn't the last time it came up. While at the fair one day, Larette got very sick. At once, because she was acting suspicious lately, he accused her of being with child. That wasn't it at all; She had gotten ill from a corn dog, and the sneaking about was so she could surprise him with a "redo" of their first date. He felt terrible, and the conversation never once came back up, though it was obvious that he was weary of the possibility._

... Larette looked at Reno, aware that she had frozen herself in thought, "Sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Spending time with your husband..." Reno, and all of the Turks, had grown accustomed to Larette and her ways, so he was barely fazed by her pause, "Well, it were me, I'd just make myself known."

That was an understatement if she had ever heard one, but she smiled politely nevertheless, "Yeah?" Suddenly, inspiration hit her, "Thank you, so much!"

She scuttled off excitedly, leaving Reno with the feeling that this was going to bite him in the ass later...

Rufus may have been able to ignore her when she was there, but he very well couldn't ignore the fact that she was gone! It was full proof! All she needed was to sneak out to some romantic location and wait for him to find her! But where? Pft, as if there was anywhere else to go but to the place where they had their honeymoon! In the middle of the night, she would "go to the bathroom", but really, she'd be leaving to Mideel. The perfect plan...

After the meeting, Reno pulled Rufus aside. "Sir, this may be out of place, but I was speaking to Larette..." Rufus wasn't overly fond of people calling his wife by her first name, but since they had known her before hand, he allowed the Turks and those close to her to call her so informally. "...She's...not very happy."

"Oh?" He looked seriously at the Turk, "Surely she realizes...? Hm, I'd better tell her then, thank you, Reno."

The red-haired man bit his lip, "Well, as her friend I'm curious...Are you treating her like that because of _him_?"

The boss turned his back to his subordinate, "Sephiroth...The nightmare." Larette had nothing to do with him, he doubted if she knew about him anymore than the general public. But Rufus didn't like that he, as the head of Shinra, was not yet the focus of revenge. "I wonder if he knew about Kadaj?"

"Sir?" Reno had never once heard Rufus talking about Kadaj, outside ordering all who knew his fate to silence.

He shook his head, "It doesn't matter. Sephiroth...Kadaj...As long as Larette's safe, I don't care how many have to die."

"He's coming back." It was no question, Rufus knew something...And Reno thought he knew what this time...


	2. Falling

**Ok, this is kind of sudden, but I don't want to waste my time building up to this...I'm very impatient. So, yeah, that's really it for this late week/update/chapter thing. But can't you just imagine that (a particular part not too much further into the chapter)? Yum...Rufus... Sorry. But seriously, just read and revel in the glory!**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!**

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Leaving Reno in the hallway, Rufus decided to retire for the night. It hurt him like hell to treat his beloved and most cherished wife like this, but it was all in order to protect her...The only other option, the one that would probably hurt her the least, would hurt him the most. He was far too selfish to do that, no matter how much he loved Larette, though deep down he wished that he was strong enough of a man to protect the one he loved the most. He wanted to more than anything else, but he was just too weak...

The new President of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company entered the same exact room he had proposed to Larette in, the memories of that and so much more fresh each and every day, made all the fresher every single time he entered the bedroom. He spotted her at once, blue eyes automatically locked on her presence, the tempting and nearly defeating white dress tossed aside on the carpet, replaced with an old, moth eaten pair of black and pink striped pants and a baggy black long-sleeved shirt. She was asleep, or was at least convincingly pretending, her back to the door. He smiled at her, glad to see that she had returned to the normal Larette he had so loved. He removed his clothes, leaving nothing as usual. His god-like frame, at least that's how Larette would describe his body in a nutshell, climbed under the covers, kissing the back of her head and wrapping one arm around her waist as he always did.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy...I wish that it could just be the two of us, snug and secure someplace no one would bother us. But we don't live in a perfect world," Rufus kissed the back of her head again, tears, real tears, splashing into her hair. "I love you, so much...But even though everything I do, which I do for you, it just doesn't seem to be enough..."

She wanted to turn around so badly, to comfort him, but she knew that her plan was now much more urgent than she had originally thought...

Once he had fallen asleep, Larette stole swiftly from his arms, careful not to wake him. He did not stir as she grabbed the small bag from beside the dresser, hidden in shadows, and snuck out past the window, always open, even in the snow or rain. A constant reminder of all they overcome...

Arriving in Mideel, newly repaired into a grand sauna with an opening directly into the lifestream, Larette rented the room she had once shared with Rufus. As she gazed reminiscently around at the pale ecru wallpaper and soft lavender carpet, warm grey and cold black furniture greeting her like old friends after an extremely long trip, the sinking feeling of loneliness and unmistakable dread fell upon her.

"Hm, this is more lonely than I would have guessed...Maybe I should go back?" She looked back at the door, pulled away from it as if by a hook in her navel to one of the many offshoots of the Lifestream, or the "pool", in the middle of the room. She stopped just at the edge, the green waters rippling and distorting her reflection. "Odd..."

The water should have been silent, and still, but instead, they rose and fell in miniture tsumani-like waves, the roaring of an ocean storm minmized to the confines of the room. As she bent in for a closer look, a sudden swirl of black pulled her into the freezing cold waters. She tried to grasp and pull air into her lungs, but it was pointless as she was not underwater, but in the walls of a solid silver room. Identical to the swirls that brought her into this foreign landscape, a man materialized right in front of the one time Turk.

"Who...Who are you?" She had of course met Sephiroth before he had turned traitor, but she had thought that he had died two years ago, around the time of metorfall. "You look just like...But it can't be...Could it?"

He chuckled, causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise, "Can't it be? They call me 'The Nightmare', but then again, they also told you that Kadaj died in that fire, didn't they? They hid alot from you... didn't he?" He chuckled again, "I am no longer existent in the world you occupy, but here I am..."

Sephiroth had somehow managed, yet again, to stay undiffused by the mighty and ever flowing Lifestream. The most likely of explanations was that he had reserved at least enough strength for one more try after the outbreak of Geostigma, because he still had something to do...

"What do you mean? Who lied to me? What did they lie about?" Larette tried to remain calm, but being in such an overwhelming presence, was, well, overwhelming.

He bent his head back and laughed, "How well do you know your husband? Is he really the man you think he is?"

And before she could do so much as blink, the room had transformed itself into a series of screens, movies playing of Sephiroth's life. If played at once, in order, it would have shown her his entire life, from his very conception to his exploits in the Wutai War that had made him a hero to the curing of Geostigma. Pieces had naturally been removed, most likely things that he had no knowledge of, but Larette had seen enough to know the entire story. It made her feel bad enough to pity him, but not terrible enough to forgive him, if he could have ever been forgiven.

"...I knew what kind of man Rufus was long before I married him." She knew that her husband was no angel, but neither did she fault him as pure evil. "He's human, just like we all are. Just like you were, before you mutilated your own heart and conscious. I understand why you did what you did, but that is what truly made you a monster."

He chuckled, "Brave words from such a little girl." It was not that she was younger than him, because they were close to the same age, if she wasn't older. He only referred to her short height. "But I wonder if you really mean them?"

She turned away from him, her head swarming with his pain, his past, her anger at what had been kept from her, and her dismay at Rufus's recent behavior towards her. She was so upset, she couldn't think straight. As she turned back to face him, everything dissolved around her, Sephiroth being the very last thing to go...

"Hate them for what they did...Despise him for hurting you..." Then he was gone.

_Since the day Rufus found out he had the stigma, Larette stayed by his side, though it was very clear that she wanted nothing more than to run away and cry every time she looked at him. She had remained calm, forcing herself to be strong for the sake of her lover. She spent every single day he was sick searching for a possible cure, and she was never too far away, in spirit at least. __After he had been cured, Larette still lamenting her fate to have missed the moment to this very day, he sent them both away on a vacation, her body strained to the point of near death in her frantic search. But when they came back home to Midgar, things changed..._

_So the night Larette left to Mideel, Rufus didn't stop her. No, he didn't even dream of trying. He thought that he had finally pushed her to her limit, that she had given up and was leaving to keep things as clean as possible. He thought that she had decided to move on with her life, so no matter how much it hurt would hurt them, he let her go..._

_That was the worst mistake he ever made..._


	3. Waking Alone

**Ok, ok, I admit that its been a while now, but hey, here's the next chapter! And might I say...Well, you can just read what I have to say. Ok, I actually forgot, but still...I can't be on top of everything (I don't want to be either). Well, let's get on with the show!**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!

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Gazing hazily at the latticed ceiling, Larette woke up in the hotel bed. Her clothes were still on and her violet hair was twisted around her body like strands of lilac ribbon, threatening to suffocate her in her previously dormant state. Was everything that had just happened a bad dream? Was she going crazy? Just what really went down last night? And what was with the surreal and vivid images and living thoughts swirling around in her brain? What was she to remember about pity and betrayal? And just what in the world did Rufus have to do with any of this? Whatever had happened to Larette last night, all she could recall were dim recollections and an echo in her head that was trying to fill her with doubt.

"Hm, maybe I should go back home and forget the whole thing ever happened? " She untangled her mass of hair from around her neck, simultaneously getting out of bed to go get her things so she could return home.

But was she going to tell Rufus? Hm, might as well be the truth, if she wanted things to work out at least.

A cold, unfeeling voice in the back of her head, not unlike the one that had not stopped whispering in her ear since last night, commanded in a deep, seductive husk, "Remember. Remember why you came to this place. Remember what _he_ did to you."

Larette panicked and backed up against the wall, but she slipped on the edge of the bed covers and fell, hitting her head hard on the bedpost. Tears welled up in her eyes as her temple began to throb dully, but she managed to pull herself up and try to straighten out her thoughts. Her knees buckled under her and she ended up back on the ground. At least she was sitting up this time.

"What was I doing again?" She asked absentmindedly, looking around the room as if this were her first time seeing it.

The voice urged her to get up, "You have something to do."

"Hm, I wish I could remember what I was doing here. Was I waiting for someone?" Larette glanced at the mirror on the wall, taking in her appearance. She noticed the ring on her finger and her memory was alive with passion, "Oh, maybe Rufus sent me on ahead...Wait, Rufus? What would I want with the likes of Rufus Shinra?"

"Remember!" The voice commanded, using his powers to mold her thoughts to his advantage.

Sepiroth was doing his best to control the weak minded girl, but she was surprisingly resilient to him. Or, to be more specific, his biggest obstacle was her love for her husband. He had never believed in that 'true love conquers all' mentality, far from it, but he had to wonder if it wasn't a force to be reckoned with in its own right. Even though he had overpowered Larette Shinra so easily, her feelings for Rufus had kept up a strong defence. He tried to wipe her mind completely, but Rufus Shinra kept cropping up, making his hold on her slacken. He would not lose to this wench though, so he allowed her to think of him. It would be harder, but apparently his only easy option was to make her hate her husband...

"Rufus...Lied to me. He hid the truth from me and he...He doesn't even love me, does he?" Sephiroth had made her think back at how Rufus had been ignoring her and twisted it so it seemed all the more worse.

Larette stumbled back to the bed and curled up in the fetal position. Her heart had been broken by the one person that meant the absolute most in the world to her. Her husband, her soul mate, her other half...He had been lying to her and had hurt her in almost every way possible. She was more than broken hearted, she had been destroyed mentally and was subsequently psychically broken. A decaying puppet...

Sephiroth was pleased on one hand that she had completely surrendered herself to him, but on the other, now that she had fallen for his lies she was useless, "Your kind suffers because of the likes of you."

She looked around, his voice not in her head anymore, but outside in the room with her, "Who's there?"

It was astonishing that she was able to speak coherently in her condition, "You're all alone now. Your family is dead and the man you thought loved you has shown you his true colors...What will you do now, Larette Black?"

She sat up, gazing confusedly at the handsome but slightly effeminate man sanding before her, "Sephiroth...?"

He walked smugly over to her, offering her his gloved hand, "Those in charge of Shinra have ruined both our lives...Join me and together we can make them pay!"

She looked at his hand, her own almost outstretched to grab his, "But what will happen to me after that?"

"Hm?" He was interested to see that she was thinking far enough ahead to question him and secure her own safety. Or at the very least, she was logical enough to know better than to join forces with him.

"Kadaj..." Larette wanted to say something, but changed her mind at the last minute, "Never mind."

He was unaffected by her stammering as he tried again, "What do you want, Larette?"

Larette gazed at the now meaningless ring on her finger, "Love. All I want is to be truly loved."

Sephiroth ignored her simple statement, "Help me, help me take down Shinra...And you can have anything your heart desires."

Rufus stared intently at the empty place where his beloved Larette should have been laying. He knew that this day would come, the day she would leave his side, and he knew that it would hurt like hell, but he never imagined that it would feel so...lonely. He felt as if he weren't even lying there in bed, or anywhere at all. It was as if his entire being had been snatched away when she left him. He no longer as a heart. Without Larette, he feels no joy nor sorrow. He is...Hollow.

"What have I done?" He whimpered, longing to reach out and touch Larette again, even just for a moment.


	4. Loving Larette

**I love Reno, but if he's the only one thinking, that should tell you something's wrong. And I love the love! You'll see what I mean when you get to the Turks. And things aren't looking so good, are they? Ba-ba-bum!**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!

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Being asked to take down her own husband, her life and everything in it, and her friends and the lives of countless others, Larette looked down at the ring on her finger. That ring meant so much to her, it was her most cherished possession only because of its sentimental value. When Rufus proposed, he gave her an elegant white gold ring with a ruby the size of Midgar flanked by six diamonds on each side. She was glad that was only the engagement ring, so then she could guide him toward something she'd actually like. He didn't have bad tastes per say, it was more that he wanted to buy her the world, literally, the entire world. In the end, however, he did chose the perfect ring by himself, after Larette had set up some boundaries, which was a simple white gold band inscribed on the inside.

"'I believe'...What rubbish. I believed in him alright...Until now," She was about to drop the ring on the floor, but she caught herself, "I had best return this."

Sephiroth smirked triumphantly, "You've made the right choice."

She wasn't so sure about that. But even so, the sharp mind of a Turk that had so long been dormant sprang back to live inside her head. She knew without so much as a word from him what had to be done next. Sephiroth needed a body to reside in.

"Will my body suffice or would you prefer a man?" Larette was indifferent either way and did not hide it.

He could tell that she was once a Turk for a reason, "That's the woman you used to be, but now you're just an empty puppet."

She merely looked at him, "Well?"

Larette was a bright woman after all. That was dangerous to his plans, but he decided that she was just dead enough on the inside to be of little concern. What good was a weapon when its wielder had no will to fight? Her mind in itself was a tricky device, considering that she had been both a Turk and a weak minded fool who had given up everything she knew for love. She was an expendable asset, nothing more.

Rufus had known that he'd have to tell everyone that Larette had left, but he never accounted for how everyone would react. Getting ready alone was almost unbearable for the President, but he knew that he'd have to get used to it sooner or later. Tseng was outside the door like always, and he was surprised to see the President exiting the room by himself. He said nothing yet, though he kept shooting his boss odd looks without realizing it.

"Is something wrong?" Rufus dared him to bring it up,

Tseng didn't want to question his superiors, but Larette was part of the family, "Sir, if I may, where is Mrs. Shinra?"

Rufus realized just how much Larette meant to not only himself, but everyone, "She's...Gone."

"Gone?" The leader of the Turks immediately thought that she had been abducted, but the President would have acted the instant it happened.

"Call a meeting: I want the Turks to gather so I can explain," He dismissed his subordinate so he could be alone to recollect his bearings.

Once they had gathered together, everyone was apprehensive about the situation. Reno thought he knew already, but he didn't say anything about his suspicions, even to his partner, Rude. Well, he didn't tell Rude mainly due to the fact that Rude was Larette's mentor a long time ago, and because he was probably the closest Turk to Larette, arguably so. Rufus was standing before them, the absence of his wife abundantly clear and ominous to all gathered. Larette was never far from her husband, and when she was, everyone knew before she had even left. She kept no secrets, at least from the Turks. They were all family, whether or not her husband liked it.

"As all can see, Larette," He choked saying her name, but continued on as if he hadn't made a mistake, "Is gone. I don't know where she went, but I am certain that she left willingly. She will be missed, but she has made a decision and we all must respect that and just leave her be. She's a strong woman and an excellent Turk, so we don't have to worry about her safety...Larette Shinra was a light among the dark, but eventually we all need to find other light in our lives."

Rufus's speech was met with outcries of disbelief. They knew Larette, and they knew that she would never just leave like this. They all suspected that Rufus was somehow at fault. He was the only reason she would leave, as was he the reason she stayed. Unfortunately, her life revolved around him, but they were just so in love! Everybody knew how Rufus felt about Larette, so they all knew that she'd be safe and secure, so what could have happened to her? People, like Elena, started to speculate.

"Well, the President doesn't want kids and every woman eventually wants her own children, so maybe the President had her sent away?" She looked around for support, receiving a few 'eh, it's possible' looks.

But Reno knew better, though he had to admit it was likely that Larette could have somehow gotten pregnant and therefore Rufus locked her away somewhere. No, Rufus wouldn't do that to Larette, because he loved her too much. Besides, they would actually have to be having sex for that theory to work. So that wasn't it...Oh God, how could he not have seen it sooner? Larette must have left because of her harebrained scheme and Rufus naturally drew the wrong conclusion! Maybe it was a good thing the whole procreating thing was off the table.

"Sir, I need to speak to you," Reno waved over at the President.

"Hm, what is it Reno?" Hands in his pockets, Rufus walked over to Reno.

"Larette's waiting for you," He knew where she would be, even though she didn't say it herself.

Rufus looked at Reno, "Are you sure about that?"

Reno didn't answer, instead it was Tseng, "Sir, shall I prepare your overnight bags?"

He nodded, rushing off to find Larette.


	5. Cooking Up A Scheme

**Wow, the end of this chapter seems really irrelevant, doesn't it? Hm, I guess that happens sometimes, doesn't it? Guess that means things could be dying out, huh? That is to say, things are either reaching their sizzle or the author is fizzled. Heh, cooking terms. You'll understand by the end of the chapter. Speaking of, I wanted another cute little moment to see how happy they were!**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!

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Screw the plan! Rufus loved Larette too much to let her go in the end, he knew that now. He foolishly thought that he had sent her away for her own good, but she only left to get the attention she thought she was missing. What kind of husband was he, hiding the fact that she was possibly in danger by pushing her away? Just what was he thinking? If anything, this was putting her at an even greater risk! What kind of man, nay, what type of monster does that? His darling Larette was out there all by herself, and he had no one to blame but himself for her fate. Well, there was always Reno, but really, it was his fault.

"Please, don't stop believing in me, Larette." Rufus bemoaned his stupidity as he closed in on his beloved.

Sephiroth had decided to take over Larette's body unless a more suitable replacement came along, if only for the ease of access. She didn't care that he was lurking in the shadows of her mind, nor was she exactly aware of his presence. She knew he was there, somewhere, but other than that, it all could have been a dream. This must be what a puppet feels like, unfeeling but aware of the puppet master someplace out of reach as they pulled the strings.

While he rested inside her, letting her feelings stew, he had filled her head with the parts of the plan that she needed to know. It was simple enough: Larette would return home to her husband, and just when she was close enough, Sephiroth would take over and kill the man who was descended from the arrogant traitors that did this to his mother. Larette wasn't highly concerned with his ultimate goal as she didn't know exactly what it was. Sephiroth only let her know that she would return home to get her revenge.

"Then all that must be done shall come to pass in its own way; that is how the world works," Larette gathered her things, shooting cautious glances at the ring she had discarded.

It wasn't something she would part from, even now, but neither was it something that she could cherish or wear. It was set aside in an unsealed envelope. She just couldn't look at it. Were he not so tired right not, Sephiroth might have been more concerned with her actions.

While Rufus prepared to depart on his pilgrimage to save his wife, the Turks gathered amongst themselves. Well, those who were closest to Larette and wanted her return above all else. Reno, Rude, Tseng, and Elena had stayed behind after Rufus's speech to pool their resources and formulate a plan of action. Tseng had told them of how he had found out, and Reno had divulged the entirety of his last conversations to the President and his wife. Rude was quieter than usual, mulling over just much Larette had grown and stayed the same over these past few years.

"And so, the President thinks that Larette could be a possible target of Sephiroth," Reno wasn't sure if they should contact Cloud or not, so he continued in the hopes that someone besides himself would consider that option, "It's not positive that he's involved, but there is a chance."

Elena asked what he was thinking, "Then maybe we should contact Cloud and his friends?"

Tseng thought about it deeply, always the ideal leader, "Larette was Aerith's best friend...And Cloud is probably the only one who can kill Sephiroth."

"Yeah, that's true," Elena was quick as ever to agree with Tseng, not that it mattered too much. He was still stuck on Aeirth.

"But we might look weak if we ask for help..." Reno looked at his comrades for their thoughts.

Rude disagreed, "That's the old Shrina."

"Yeah!" Elena cheered.

"Then it's settled. Rude, Reno, you'll go to Midgar and ask Cloud to help us. Elena and I will stay with the President." Tseng ordered his men, sending them out with all possible haste.

Larette was family, and if you messed with one Turk, you messed with them all. They still considered her one of their own and they always will. Among the Turks, there was no one who didn't care for the President's wife, even if they didn't personally like her. Larette was special to each of them in her own way.

"Hey, do you remember when Larette made her first official debut as the President's wife?" Normally, there's just a debut, but because of what had occurred, Larette had both her debut and her official debut.

Even Rude couldn't help but recall fondly, "I've never seen maple syrup stick two people together before."

_It was a few days after the President and his wife had returned from the their honeymoon. Larette wanted to do something special for her husband, so she opted to make him some breakfast before he woke up. Sweet, but there were two things that she wasn't counting on that morning: One, she couldn't cook cereal; and two, she forgot that it was the day of her debut to the company and its remaining employees._

_"What are you doing?" Tseng stopped Larette on her way to the kitchen, "Shouldn't you be getting dressed?"_

_She thought that he meant the time, so she shrugged, "I'm married now, so my husband's needs come first."_

_"..." Once again, she had confused him, but by now, everyone was used to it, so he turned back around, deciding that his own breakfast could wait, "Good luck."_

_Threatening to combust an empty bowel with her horrid cooking skills, Larette scoured the entire kitchen for something good to make for Rufus. She wanted to avoid pancakes, only because of how commonplace they were, but that was all she could find, so she had to make due with them. But just because she didn't desire pancakes didn't mean that she wouldn't try to make them with her entire heart. She vowed to herself in that empty kitchen that she would make her husband the food that she could with as much creativity as she could find._

_She should have just let the staff cook the meal, but instead she kicked them all out so she could work in private, "Hmph, I'll show everyone that I'm not just some tomboy who can't find her way around the kitchen!"_

_Five tries later, the whole room was unrecognizable. Batter had repainted every single surface, some patches of flour had grown on the walls, something that resembled glue was leaking from the ceiling, eggs were laying in shatters like fallen men in an army of four dozen, and bacon was sizzling on the floor. The door opened and didn't close for several minutes. Obviously, someone was standing there in shock at the scenery. A woman in ratty pajamas and a bright pink apron was pulling something charred and black from the oven._

_"Larette?" Rufus grabbed her waist, startling her so that the pan in her hands went flying right into his face._

_She spun around, cutely adjusting her apron so that he wouldn't explode, "Oops?"_

_He wiped the attempted cake from his eyes, grabbing a great lump of it and smashing it in her hair, "Oops."_

_"Rufus! You know my hair takes longer to clean than yours!" She frowned, picking up a bowel and splashing it at him._

_The stuff in the green bowel wobbled in place but didn't move at all, "Nice weapon."_

_She stuck her tongue out at him, grabbing a different container this time, "Take this!"_

_Something goopy came out, encasing his hand in something like tar, "Is this milk?"_

_She looked at it, "I dunno."_

_He rolled his eyes, grabbing her hand before she could grab another mixture, "What are you doing in here?"_

_"Well, I was trying to make you some breakfast, but it came out looking like some horror movie..." She grumbled, pulling her hand away._

_"Huh?" They blinked together at the substance that wouldn't budge._

_Panicking, they tried everything to get it off, but they were stuck together. Just to make matters worse, Reno came in to get Larette for the meeting to formally introduce her to the staff. The meeting that both newly weds forgot. Nice, real nice. Reno smirked the entire time that he tried to pry the happy couple apart, and then every time since for the entire time they were stuck like that.  
_


	6. Gathering

**Wow, dripping with flashback much? Well, that's not exactly a bad thing, but still. And with this chapter, I tie it all in together (but not end it). All before School!  
**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!

* * *

**

Sitting at Strife Delivery Service, Reno and Rude were meeting with Cloud to acquire his services. They told him that the President's wife had left to stay in Mideel, but the President was worried for her safety. The head of Shinra was concerned for his wife's well being, so he had let her leave, but once he realized that she was waiting for him, he headed off to her location to bring her back home safe and sound and in one piece. The Turks continued to tell Cloud why they needed his help. They told him about Sephiroth.

"We know that we're asking alot, but if anything happens to Larette..." Rude was unable to finish his sentence.

Reno looked at his partner, "Larette is important to all of us, not just the President."

"Cloud," Tifa Lockheart entered the room, listening behind the door, "You should go. I know that you really don't know her, but she was important to Aerith, and if Sephiroth really is involved, then no one else can handle him but you."

"Yeah," He nodded, agreeing to help the Turks because he remembered hearing about Larette from his friends.

_Cloud remembered sitting with Zack, talking about their hometowns and the friends they had left behind to join SOLDIER. They weren't on duty that day, so they all the time in the world to talk. Not that that had ever stopped Zack._

_"There were a few cute girls back home, what about you?" Zack was only asking because Cloud had seen him writing a letter home._

_He looked up nervously, "Well, there is one girl..."_

_Zack understood his friend's sheepishness, "Yeah, I know what you mean."_

_"...Huh?" Cloud wondered what his friend was talking about._

_"Back in Gongaga, there was this girl... I wonder if I'd even be here now if she liked me?" He asked himself more than his friend, "I wanted to ask her out, but her sister told me that she only liked me as a friend, so I never asked. Larette sure is something though..."_

_"Larette what?" Cloud was interested in the kind of girls Zack liked._

_"Larette Black. Oh, she was great! Cloud, you would have loved her! She was just one of the guys, but... Well, it's not important now. Too bad she's not around, or maybe I could have set you two up." Zack was doing squats again._

_And then there was Aeirth... She and Larette had been best friends before she had regained her memory and married Rufus Shinra. Even after everything, Larette had still viewed Aerith as her best friend. Cloud was sure that Aerith would have done the same thing..._

_"So tell us more about yourself," Tifa asked Aeirth one night when the group was assembled, the group currently consisting of Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and Red XIII._

_"Hm?" Aerith wasn't sure what to say._

_Barret helped her along, "What do you normally do?"_

_The flower girl nodded, "I sell flowers in the slums..."_

_Tifa already knew that, "Are you leaving anything behind?"_

_"My mother," But everyone already knew that, "And my best friend."_

_"Your friend?" Red asked._

_Aerith looked off into space, "She would have came if she knew...But she has her own journey."_

_"Dammit, wha could be more important than the planet?" Barret knew that not everyone could fight, but every person counted._

_She smiled at him, "Finding herself."_

_Cloud was reminded of Zack, how special he was to him, "Does your friend have a name?"_

_"She thinks her name is Cressida Hale, but really its Larette Black," She confided in her new friends._

_"Larette Black...?" That name sounded so familiar, even though he couldn't place it at the time._

Cloud spoke not just to Tifa on Aerith's behalf, but to the Turks as well, "If it's for someone important, we should call everyone."

Tifa liked that idea, "Yeah!"

So they got the old team back together. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret went with Cloud to find Red XIII, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cid Highwind, and Vincent Valentine. Marlene and Denzel stayed behind with Johnny, a friend of Tifa's. The Turks departed to regroup with Tseng and Elena. Even though Larette was probably in no danger at all, the Turks were confident that she would be safe. If only they had counted on Sephiroth beating them to her...

Rufus, on the other hand, was a nervous wreak as he was accounting for every single possible thing that could go wrong while he and Larette were separated. Even Sephiroth using her pain and his lies to turn her against him. Nothing was beyond his imagination at that point. He never should have tried to save her this way, he should have just told her everything and tried to save her the old fashioned way. What had this woman done, twisting the fearful Rufus Shinra into this mess of a man? He knew what she had done: She had given him a heart.

"After this, I'll never deny her anything ever again," He swore on the graves of his family that Larette would be happy.

_Rufus remembered one night, just a random night with nothing out of the ordinary, laying with Larette. They had been talking about something commonplace, company matters or the like, and she had fallen asleep. He remembered watching her, the way her face relaxed because she was no longer talking about something that she disliked, her breathing shallow and steady enough to tell time by. She was simply radiant, like an angel._

_"I love you," He whispered, trying not to wake her up._

_She mumbled in her sleep, "No more Rufus...If you buy anymore crap, I'm gonna drown."_

_He couldn't help but laugh at her, "You're just too cute sometimes."_

_"Back at you," She was half asleep, but it would seem that his laugh had woken her, "But I'm sure that you already knew that."_

_He kissed her brow, "Go back to sleep."_

_She sat up, "And what if I'm not tired anymore?"_

_"Then I can't be held accountable for my actions," He was not joking when he said that._

_"Sorry, but you'll have to wait until morning," And just like that, she fell asleep again.  
_

Sephiroth, more or less dormant in Larette, was reminding Larette of the plan one last time, "Shinra lied to you, so make no mistake that he will say anything he has to to get you back."

Her eyes were vacant, "All I have to do is get him close..."


	7. Sorrowful Winds

**Yay, violence! It's about damn time too! And the end is coming too. I think one more chapter, and I'm done with the series. Not FFvii in general, just "The Shinra Affair". I hope it's been an ok (hopefully better) read so far... And bah, this may be the shortest chapter yet, but I dun care.  
**

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!

* * *

**

The stage set for a battle to end all battles, the warring players gathered with their blades sharpened and hearts steeled. Larette was waiting in the wind as Rufus reached her first. The Turks and their allies wouldn't be too far behind, so that gave them only a short time. Standing in the whipping winds, Rufus could see at once that something was off with Larette. Her eyes were not only different colors than normal, but they were dead, no doubt reflecting the woman inside. Her face was a mask as she watched him running towards her.

"Larette!" He called out to her before he was too close, "What are you doing out here?"

She cocked her head to the side, "Whatever do you mean? I'm waiting for you; Won't you come kiss your bride?"

He was hearing Larette's voice, but something wasn't right, "You're different."

She walked over to him, willing yielding her spot on the high ground to demonstrate that she meant him no harm, "Didn't you miss me?"

"You're not my wife," Rufus shook his head, "You're not Larette."

"Aren't I?" Her voice was more biting than the air, "I am your wife...I know you, just as you know me. I know the way you secretly look at me when you think I'm not looking, and the way you watch me sleep after a long day. And I know that you lied to me..."

Everything she had said was true, but he knew in the pit of his stomach that this thing wasn't his wife, "You've certainly done your research, I give you that."

"Hm, since you don't believe that this body is that of your wife, I will cast her aside and show you my true form," Sephiroth himself materialized from her body, just like with Kadaj, "Long time no see."

Rufus saw that Larette had not shown herself, so he knew that she was inside still somewhere inside of him, "Larette, it is true that I lied to you, but everything I've ever done has been to protect you!"

"Is that really true?" Sephiroth had seen through Rufus's scheme and therefore knew that he had been too weak to do what was best for Larette.

"I love Larette more than anything, and I know that no matter what mistakes I make, she will love me too," Rufus attempted to hold his ground against him.

The crazed villian wasn't about to risk Larette resurfacing, so he decided to cut this charade short, "Then how do you explain this?"

He tossed Rufus the envelope with Larette's wedding ring inside it. He held it in shock, dreading what this meant. No, he knew what it meant, he just was hoping that he was wrong...But knowing Larette better than anyone, he knew the importance of her ring and the love she felt for it. She would never part from that ring unless she herself had taken it off, and there was only way that she would remove it: She must have stopped believing in him.

"Larette..." He uttered her name as if a part of himself had just died.

Sephiroth smirked in his own way, "So how does it feel having the most important thing to you taken away?"

His words only half registered to the President, "Sephiroth...How did you do it?"

"Oh?" He saw no harm in telling him that much, "I came before her and merely told her the truth. But her mind was so weak...It was easy to take control and help guide her thoughts. Except, she had the annoying habit resisting for your sake."

So Larette did still care about him, "Why are you using her?"

Sephiroth drew his sword, "Because you still haven't learned your lesson."

Rufus was reminded of his chat with Kadaj, "And what lesson is that?"

Sephiroth had had enough talking and charged the President. Rufus managed, just barely, to dodge, pulling out his shotgun. Before he hit the ground, Tseng had caught him. So, the reinforcements had arrived at last...Cloud was grim as he stepped up to Sephiroth, his blue eyes searching for the unfamiliar face in the group. There was no one he did not recognize, so he looked over at Rufus.

"You can't kill him until I get her back!" Rufus shouted, hating that it had to be another man to save his wife.

Cloud came to the conclusion that she was inside Sephiroth before Rufus had confirmed it, "Yeah, I know."

Cloud turned his full attention to Sephiroth, "I'm not going to let you take another life!"

His eyes narrowed, "Are you going to stop me, Cloud?"

They clashed, blades sparking off of one another. Everyone watched from a relative distance, ready to jump in if they were needed. They all knew that it wouldn't come down to that, but they didn't lower their guard for a moment. Rufus was closest to the battle, everything on the line for him...He knew that if Larette couldn't come back to him, his life was effectively over. The Turks felt it too, though no where near the way that Rufus did. She was merely their friend, so they could at least say goodbye to her, no matter how much they didn't want to. Rufus, on the other hand, was everything to Larette, just she was everything to him. They just couldn't imagine their lives without each other.

"Cloud, why are you fighting?" Sephiroth slashed at his enemy's throat.

He parried and redirected the blow at his rival's head, scratching him just above the eye, "It's true that I don't know Larette personally, but she was close to people who are important to me!"

"..." They continued to hack away, neither side relenting.


	8. Together Forever

**I know that posting this on Valentine's Day is nothing special, but this all I'm planing on doing for the holiday, as my big February event is the day after! I'm just so stoked to be getting the game, I'm really antsy. But back to the point! I've had a good time writing these and though I probably could have done better, I really like the story. I also love Larette, though I'm not sure why. Maybe its because I came up with her name all by myself? Whatevs, the important thing is that I'm done writing such an awesome story. I'm sorry if this fails epically in way of action, but this is a romance for a reason! Well, actually for a few reasons... **

**P.S.**

**Please enjoy and Review!

* * *

**

How did everything come to this? Rufus and Larette Shinra had happened to be miscommunicating so badly that they had been pushed apart almost instantly and with little to no warning. Rufus thought that he could handle the pain of Larette leaving; it had nearly destroyed him. Larette had fallen prey to the Nightmare; her mind bent to Sephiroth, but her heart loved Rufus too much to forget. Forced into action, the Turks had summoned Cloud Strife and his friends to save their ally and friend, Larette the former Turk. Everything was so close to ending now, everyone could taste it. It was clear who would win, but regardless, they all waited with bated breaths to discover the fate of Larette.

Perfect forehead cut, Sephiroth used an incomplete version of Omnislash, shredding the cloth and skin of his opponent's tibia. Cloud ignored the pain and even the injury itself to end this meaningless battle, but failed at using Climhazzard. Activating Braver, Cloud evened up the score by slashing Sephiroth vertically across the shoulder after he had been targeted by the ex-SOLDIER's unfeeling blade again.

"Cloud, why are you so strong?" Sephiroth had realized his own fate seconds before it could be dealt, Cloud preparing to unleash his ultimate limit break upon him.

"Because of my friends," He gratefully praised those that had his back no matter what, mercilessly defeating Sephiroth yet again.

Sephiroth disdainfully looked over at the observers, the famous single black wing jetitng from his back to cover his visage, "I will never depend on anyone else."

And then he was gone altogether, Larette falling like a lifeless rag doll from his place in the sky. Everyone gathered rushed to save her before she fell to the ground, but Rufus was the one to catch her lightly in his arms as she were only a feather. She was motionless in his arms...

"Larette," A warm and comforting female voice called out to her in the middle of her sleep.

She slowly batted her eyes open, not concerned in the least by the fact that she floating in air, surrounded by nothing but bright white light, "Aerith...? Zack...?"

Her best friend and her first crush were standing by her side, smiling comfortingly down at her, though Zack had to break the golden silence, but then, he wouldn't be Zack if he didn't, "Hey, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

She chuckled, feeling nothing but joy, "Too long. And, I know that it's too late, but you should know-"

"Larette, I know. You don't have to say it," He wasn't upset when he said that.

She shook her head, "No, I've held it in for over ten years, I have to tell you myself in my own words, face to face."

He sighed, somehow knowing that she'd say that, "I knew it'd be something like that."

"Zack, you were my first love growing up...No, even now there's a special place in my heart that belongs only to you, but I'm married now and my husband has every other corner of my heart all to himself. I know that, no matter how much you mean to me, I would chose him at the end of the day," She was crying, but they weren't sad tears, "You'll always be an important part of me."

He patted her shoulder, "Then you should know that I feel the same. I even would have stayed in Gongaga for you if I had had that chance, but your sister told me a terrible lie out of jealousy."

Larette knew that her sister had said something to him, but she never knew exactly what had been implied, "So that's it. Well, I think that things ended up for the best, didn't they, Aerith?"

Aerith had been pretending not to be listening the whole time, but she didn't miss a beat as she responded brightly, "Yeah."

"Out of everyone, I'm glad that it was guys who came to greet me," She was ready to go with them, even though that meant leaving Rufus behind for a while.

Aerith and Zack exchanged glances, laughing softly at Larette, "It's not your time yet."

Larette was surprised then by this visit, but was more than happy to return to her husband, even if just for another minute, "Then I guess I'll be seeing you guys later."

"Larette! No, Larette, you can't die! You can't leave me like this!" Rufus was suffocating her and was practically screaming right in her ear.

She shoved him back slightly, struggling to catch her breath before he could constrict her again, "Are you trying to kill me?"

Everyone perked up, seeing that she was still alive, "Alright!" "Yeah!" "Thank goodness!" "Uh-huh!" "I knew she'd make it!" "That's a relief!" "I'm glad that everything worked out!" "That's Larette for you!" "Geez, she didn't have to scare us so bad!" "That's the President's wife for you!"

"Larette! You're alive!" Rufus held her as tightly as he could, afraid that this wasn't real.

She wedged her elbow between them so she could breathe, "Not if you keep attacking me like this."

He smiled guiltily, "I just...I lost you."

She shook her head, "Jeez, I'm out for a second and you're already smothering me."

He looked hurt, "Oh."

He looked defeated, so she quickly rectified the situation by kissing him, "And that's why you're the best husband ever."

"But-" He tried to protest.

She held her finger to his lips, "Shhh, I don't care about that. You came for me, so that's all that matters."

He rolled his eyes at her, "You're too forgiving!"

"Oh, really?" She sternly crossed her arms.

He looked over at everyone, "Larette, do we really have to talk about this in front of everyone?"

She nodded evilly, "Just because I forgave you doesn't mean that you're off the hook yet."

Rufus had completely lost face in front of all those people, but he knew that it was more than worth it to have Larette back, "I'll accept my punishment."

She was taken aback by how serious he was, "Rufus, what are talking about?"

"I don't deserve you after everything I put you through..." And he told her his list of mistakes, "...I wasn't strong enough to protect you with my own hands."

She would have been angry, but because he came clean on his own and was genuinely sorry, she kissed his forehead, "Oh, you big dummy! It's not your job to protect me; We have to fight together!"

He knew that she was being too easy on him, but he had the rest of his life to make it up to her, "You know what I swore to myself on the way over?"

"Hm?" She was curious to know what he had cooked up this time.

He took her hands in his, kissing them with his breath, "I swore that I would give you _anything_ that you wanted. _Anything_."

Her jaw dropped, "Even starting a family...?"

He nodded, knowing that he'd be too busy to be with the child anyways, "If that's what you want."

"Oh, Rufus!" She knocked the wind out him as she tackled him to the ground in kisses.

Tseng, who was closer to Larette than it would seem, looked over at Reno and Rude, "But I thought that she didn't want kids yet anyways?"

Reno shrugged, "Who knows what goes through that head of hers."

Rude agreed, thinking of how scary Larette could be if she were hormonal, "..."

Good thing the happy couple didn't hear that, or the Turks might have been severely punished for their insolence. Cloud and his friends had been skirting away gradually, but they took this opportunity to flee. Their payment could be discussed later, when things had settled down some. If it ever settled down...

* * *

X Months Later...

Sneaking away from home and back had been nearly impossible, but luckily Larette had a great support system helping her. Reno, who had stayed behind to monitor the situation for her, nodded when she passed him in the hallway. She nodded in return and showed him the bag in her hands. He waved her on and she stole into the bathroom. It wasn't over yet, she still had to wait an additional amount of time before this was over. She just prayed that Rufus wouldn't catch on before she was ready for him to know.

Just as she opened the box, there was a sharp rap on the door, "That better be hair-dye you're holding in there!"

She locked the door before her husband could open it, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this!"

Larette pulled the instructions from the box, reading them as her husband tried to open the door, "Larette, you better open this door!"

"You know I can't use the bathroom in front of you! Just wait a damn minute!" She watched the door instead of pay attention to the materials as she set them on the sink.

"You'll have to get used to it someday..." He promised her.

She hated when he was right, "Fine, then you can read me the instructions..."

The door was unlocked and Rufus entered the bathroom smugly, "See, that wasn't so hard was it?"

She pouted, "Jerk. How'd you find out anyways?"

He smirked, "Tseng told me."

She huffed out her cheeks, "Figures. You offer him a raise for ratting me out?"

He took the instructions from her hand, ruffling her head, "No, he figured that as your husband, I had the right to know."

Larette sighed, "I really hate it when you know just what I really want."

He set the papers down on top of the box and sat next to her so she could rest her head on his shoulder, "Hey, I can't help that I know you."

She glared at him, focusing more on what she was doing: Which was peeing on a stick, "So help me if you look!"

He rolled his eyes, "I've seen you naked plenty of times."

She blushed, "Not like this you haven't!"

They had been married for quite some time now, but she still refused to let him see her using the restroom. It was odd, at least to him, but he respected her wishes and let her be. At least until now, because to him, he felt that he should at least try to be there every step of the way for the family, if there was going to be one yet. He might not exactly have wanted a child yet, but if just so happens to happen, he figured that he might has well be there for his wife.

"That's true, but you do realize that if we are having a baby, then I'll be watching a whole life come out of you," He gently reminded her.

She sweatdropped, watching in terror as the test confirmed that he would in fact be watching something like that in only nine months, "I hate you so much right now."

He kissed her cheek, sure of what she really meant, "I love you too."


End file.
